Batman Forever (1995) – Did you know?

Ever wanted to know a little bit more about the Batman Movie Anthology (1989 – 1997)? Then you came to the right place!

Over the next four days It’s A Stampede! will feature a different Bat-related post, providing you with ten factoids about an entry from the series. Today it’s the turn of Batman Forever (1995)!

Did you know… Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey did not get along during the making of Batman Forever? Speaking on the Howard Stern Show in October 2014, Carrey said: “He did not want to work with me.”

Did you know… Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Toby Stephens and Alan Cumming all tried out for the role of Robin? The part eventually went to actor Chris O’Donnell.

Did you know… The two villains in Batman Forever have different motivations that play into the duality of the Batman/Bruce Wayne character? Two-Face has a grudge against Batman, but not Bruce Wayne. The Riddler has a grudge against Bruce Wayne and not Batman.

Did you know… Lee Batchler & Janet Scott Batchler, the co-writers of Batman Forever, wrote the role of the Riddler with Robin Williams in mind? Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, Lee Batchler, said: “With the Riddler, we wrote it with Robin’s voice. He read our script and loved it – (Warner Bros. & Williams) just didn’t make the deal.”

Did you know… Batman Forever marks the first appearance of Arkham Asylum in a live-action Batman movie? Arkham appears during the final moments of the movie, when the Riddler is incarcerated.

Did you know… Jon Favreau, Rene Auberjonois and Ed Begley Jr all made cameo appearances in Batman Forever? Elizabeth Sanders also appears, making her second appearance in a Batman movie. This time around she takes on the role of showbiz columnist, Gossip Gerty, a role she would reprise in Batman & Robin (1997).

Did you know… Batman Forever was influenced by the 1940s/1950s era of the Batman comics? The film has a lighter touch than both Batman and Batman Returns and includes more elements of fantasy. Commenting on the change in tone, on Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight, Elizabeth Sanders said: “Bob (Kane) thought that because the second one was perhaps in moments, a little too dark, then the third one should be a little more upbeat, not like the television show, but a little bit lighter, brighter, than the second one.”

Did you know… Due to the less-than-favourable reviews of Batman Returns, no one expected Batman Forever to be a hit? Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, director Joel Schumacher, said: “Nobody really wanted another Batman movie. I had to go all over the world and try to sell it to distributors. That was new. I’d never had to do anything like that.”

Did you know… The special edition DVD/Blu-Ray release of Batman Forever includes a number of deleted scenes that were cut out of the theatrical release? A notable deleted scene involves Bruce Wayne and an encounter with a giant bat in the Batcave.

Did you know… Author and comic book writer, Peter David wrote the novelisation of Batman Forever? The book was based on the movie’s screenplay so included scenes that were ultimately cut from the finished film. The book also made reference to the Penguin and Lexcorp (neither of which appeared in the movie) and namechecked Poison Ivy, a villain who didn’t show up until 1997’s Batman & Robin.